2010 Super Bowl ads: What's hot and what's not (MERGED)

this is a discussion within the NFL Community Forum; SACRAMENTO, CA- With Super Bowl advertisements costing $3 million each- even in this downturn economy- a number of ads have been leaked onto YouTube to help generate a buzz or to weed out the not-so successful spots.
News 10 talked ...

SACRAMENTO, CA- With Super Bowl advertisements costing $3 million each- even in this downturn economy- a number of ads have been leaked onto YouTube to help generate a buzz or to weed out the not-so successful spots.
News 10 talked with MeringCarson advertising agency in Sacramento, which produced a Super Bowl spot last year for the NFL. We reviewed three different spots.

spot now on YouTube featured two guys rushing to deliver precious cargo. Where they are going and why isn't revealed until later. We learn that there's a whale in the vehicle. But what exactly happens and how it all ends, we won't find out until the Super Bowl. The spot was a "teaser ad" by Bridgestone Tires.
"Was it funny? No....They're trying to add drama and why is the whale in the car? But you know. I just don't care," said Greg Carson with MeringCarson.
"Building up to your spot, you want people to care so having a teaser ad is a great way to do that. The problem with this is I don't know why I should care. They didn't give me any characters to care about. They didn't give me a scenario that I understand. It has to work very hard in camera cards to tell me what's gonna happen. If a teaser is forgettable, most likely a commercial is forgettable, and that's what I feel about this.

featured office workers who removed a piece of clothing in exchange for a free beer. it's all part of a clothing drive. It was one of several spots produced and sent to focus groups. If it gets the thumbs-up, it'll be shown during the Super Bowl.
"You know it's pretty effective. It got people talking. If nothing else, it was a free way, after you've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce your spot, a free way to get your spot out there." said Carson. "So it passed? I don't think they would have leaked it if it was going to be in the Super Bowl.

The gay male dating site might be just the thing for guys looking for that special someone. But taking a stand against the rejection of its ad should not be elevated to lunch counter status. AtlanticWire tipped me off to the charges of "blatant discrimination" and "disgust" on the left.
This reaction would be more warranted if CBS had rejected an ad from, say, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which is fighting to overturn the nonsensical ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military. The Senate Armed Services Committee will be holding hearings today to explore doing so. A powerful issue ad during this Sunday's big game that touted the patriotism, heroism and love of country of some of the nearly 14,000 who have been kicked out because of who they are could change the debate on this issue.
Defending an ad from a company that says it's "Putting the man back in romance" does nothing to advance gay rights.

A commercial by Doritos features Nick Armstrong, a Sacramento native. It's part of the "Doritos Crash the Super Bowl Contest." It's one of six finalists. Voters pick their favorite on the internet and the top three scoring spots air during the big game.
"You're selling an experience. You're selling fun. You're selling a snack so you can get away with humor that you really don't have to say a lot. That's what they're doing. It's fun...a fun concept," said Carson.